Steam rises from the piping hot bowl of seafood asopao before me. The tantalizing aroma of the Puerto Rican stew—in this case, more accurately a soup—is heady with guajillo peppers and a hint of smokiness from chipotles. Teeming with tender chunks of rockfish, mussels, shrimp and calamari, the dish’s austerity impresses.
“Fish stock, tomato, mirepoix, peppers, some rice…it’s as simple as that,” says Pikoteo owner Manuel Iguina, who opened his Latin bistro in the former Boss Hogs space in McLean in April. The warmth and depth of the broth are a perfect prescription for warding off wintertime chill.
Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Iguina, 62, brings many years of restaurant experience to Pikoteo. (The name, which is Latin American slang for snacking, also refers to his childhood nickname, Piko.) He left the island in 1979 to study science at college in Florida (his father was a doctor) but dropped out to pursue his passion for cooking.
In 1982, Iguina moved to Washington, D.C., and nabbed a culinary job as part of the opening crew of Filomena in Georgetown. Over the years, he worked in D.C. restaurants such as Café Atlantico, Provence and Coco Loco (all closed) and for José Andrés’ restaurant group before opening his own place, Mio Restaurant, which he ran from 2007 to 2015. He later managed High Street Café in Georgetown, which shuttered during Covid.
But the restaurant business wasn’t out of his blood. “During the pandemic, I realized I missed the daily grind,” says Iguina, now a Springfield resident. “I did this for myself.”
At Pikoteo, he oversees the menu with chef de cuisine Jimmy Ortez, who worked his way up from a dishwasher after he started working for Iguina in 2007.
The vibe of the 1,500-square-foot space, which seats 45 inside, 10 at the bar and 40 outside, feels personal. Iguina decorated it himself, and his love of art and flowers is evident. The restaurant’s front and back exteriors are outfitted with faux vines, greenery and brightly hued blooms.
Inside, works by Latin artists adorn the walls and vases explode with lavish silk arrangements. Vivid tropical wallpaper and banquette pillows embroidered with flowers (from his wife’s native Chiapas in Mexico) contribute to the ebullient atmosphere.
Don’t sleep on the cocktails here. Pikoteo makes a smashing mojito with loads of fresh mint and freshly squeezed lime juice. A bracing daiquiri of pink grapefruit juice, rum and Luxardo maraschino liqueur gets shaken and poured tableside for extra pizzazz.
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For starters, a pikoteando (appetizer) of rockfish tossed with cilantro, lime, red onion and chilies evokes the essence of a Peruvian ceviche, but with diced pineapple and cantaloupe adding cheery kicks of sweetness and acid.
I can also recommend the crispy pan-fried shrimp cakes made with roasted corn, panko and chilies. This delightful dish comes with a vinegar-based slaw and a sauce made from fruity, medium-spicy Simojovel chilies, which Iguina’s mother-in-law brings from Chiapas.
For his chicharron, Iguina smokes pork belly to tenderness overnight, then slices and flash fries it to order so the skin is crackling and crunchy. It’s rich and decadent, but could be improved with condiments other than the two lackluster sauces that come alongside it (one is barbecue and the other merely a blend of ketchup and mayonnaise). As an alternative, ask for the zesty house-made agua de chile, a blend of habanero peppers, lime juice, red onions and cilantro.
Two enormous, hearty empanadas filled with a picadillo of ground beef, hard-boiled eggs and raisins explode with flavor, but they suffer from a slightly acrid aftertaste. I suspect the fryer oil was in need of changing.
Of the entrees, I’m a fan of Pikoteo’s enchipotlada, a version of eggplant Parmigiana for which Ortez layers thin slices of sauteed eggplant with Parmesan cheese and chipotle tomato sauce. Baked with provolone cheese, this casserole is rib-sticking, homestyle cooking at its best.
I was intrigued to find fried plantains atop what turns out to be a superlative double patty prime burger on a brioche bun with lettuce, tomatoes and provolone. The plantains’ inherent sweetness and their caramelized edges complement the beef’s tang beautifully.
A section on Iguina’s menu is devoted to barbecue. Part of what sold him on the Boss Hogs space, he says, was the Southern Pride rotisserie and smoker that came with it, which he now fuels with hickory wood. “I wanted to learn a new craft,” he says. “At home, I’m the barbecue king. At the restaurant I still have a lot to prove.”
That’s true—the barbecue is Pikoteo’s weak spot. The chicken, seasoned with annatto, cumin, lime juice and oregano, is tasty enough, but the coffee-rubbed brisket lacks the signature smoke ring, bark, moistness and subtle yet distinctive smokiness that are hallmarks of masterful barbecue. Check out the side dishes, though. The earthy black beans are top-notch, as is a dense cornbread made with corn, creamed corn and sour cream.
Pikoteo offers a good version of flan—enriched with cream cheese—resting on a puddle of caramel. But the standout dessert is the cuatro leches sponge cake topped with butterscotch-y dulce de leche. It’s drenched with so much custard that a pool of it remained in the serving ramekin after the cake was gone. I admit without shame to having drunk it like a beverage.
What To Drink
Proprietor Manuel Iguina has curated an excellent selection of 19 wines, mostly of Spanish and South American origin, with a touch of Portugal and France thrown in, averaging around $45 per bottle. Thirteen are available by the glass ($12 to $14).
Ten cocktails, most priced at $13, are made with freshly squeezed juices. The caipirinha, mojito and Pikoteo daiquiri (made with grapefruit juice, like a Hemingway daiquiri) are among some of the tastiest I’ve had in the DMV.
Pikoteo
6811 Elm St., McLean
703-891-0123
Hours
Tuesday and Wednesday: noon to 8 p.m.
Thursday and Friday: noon to 9 p.m.
Saturday: 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 to 9 p.m.
Sunday: 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Parking
There are some spots in front of the restaurant. Additional parking is available weekdays after 6 p.m. and all day on weekends and holidays at 6819 Elm St.
Prices
Pikoteando (starters): $10 to $16
Entrees: $23 to $32
Sandwiches: $14 to $18
Desserts: $9